"Next he saw another pair of feet, wearing sparkly turquoise high heels, and heard a woman's voice. 'A small gillywater--' 'Mine,' said Professor McGonagall's voice" (Prisoner of Azkaban 202).
Gillywater is one of the many foods to appear in the Harry Potter saga that exists only in J.K. Rowling's formidable imagination. Those who have read all the books might surmise, as I do, that gillywater is possibly related to gillyweed, which appears in The Goblet of Fire. I haven't found any muggle interpretations of this beverage on the internet, so I get to make one up!
How to create a beverage that evokes thoughts of gillyweed (but doesn't turn you into a fish!), but is also something that would be Professor McGonagall's beverage of choice at the Three Broomsticks? I'll let you decide if I got it right.
You Will Need:
A mild juice of your choice (I went with Alo Appeal, and it was a very good choice)
A cucumber, skin removed
Vodka, if you so desire
1. After peeling your cucumber, use a lemon zester (the kind with the tool to make rind twists for drinks) to create strips of cucumber. One of these strips will need to be as long as the entire cucumber itself.
2. Make a little pile/ball of the cucumber strips, and use the longest strip as a string to tie everything up into a little gillyweed ball. Be gentle, or the strip will break!
3. If you're going with the alcoholic version, add a shot of vodka to the glass of your choice.
4. Pour some juice into the glass and plop in the "gillyweed."
5. Add a few ice cubes and enjoy!
The longer you leave the cucumber ball in the juice (or even better, in the vodka itself), the more cucumber-y your drink will taste. Truly, the taste of this beverage depends on the juice you choose. I chose wisely :) This gillywater would definitely be a cute option to serve at a Harry Potter themed party or a get-together with fellow fans :)
